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If Danny Espinosa isn't happy as a reserve in spring training, I wouldn't be surprised to see Rizzo call Cashman and see what the Yanks might offer in return -- especially if the Nats can find a way to bring local product Jeff Baker into the fold.

Come opening day, not a single one of those players will be on the right side of 30. McCann is the youngest, and he turns 30 in February. (The backup catcher however will probably be under 30 - Romine I'm guessing?)

If the Bud-cap of $189 million is out the window, and it appears to be unless they have some salary-dumping in the works, I wouldn't mind seeing the Yankees being aggressive in their pursuit of Tanaka. Even if he winds up being just a mid-rotation starter that's still probably money better spent than on backup infielders.

I can see Roberts as a way of keeping the payroll down, and if (ho, ho) he can stay healthy he's not really that bad a temp until a better value comes along. And by "better value" I don't mean Brandon Phillips.

And of course the Jeter - Roberts combination will be embarrassing, but so will pretty much every position but the outfield, the catcher, a pitcher or two, and with equally good health luck, the first baseman. What's that starting rotation going to look like come midseason, or even come opening day? And what's the bullpen going to look like by May?

1/2m is actually good value. Johnson/Roberts should make a pretty nice platoon, as Snapper notes, at 1/5th the price of Cano.

Maybe, but Roberts has had trouble staying healthy for several years now and he doesn't offer much positional flexibility. The Yankees are being forced to roll the dice on a move with pretty low upside.

Maybe, but Roberts has had trouble staying healthy for several years now and he doesn't offer much positional flexibility. The Yankees are being forced to roll the dice on a move with pretty low upside.

True, but if you only ask him to give you 300 PAs, he's much more likely to stay healthy.

Looking at Johnson, he has almost no platoon split. If they could sign Eric Chavez (go all in on 2005!), a Roberts/Chavez/KJ 3for 2 semi platoon at 2B/3B could be a cheap way to get a ~105-110 wRC+ from the two positions.

a Roberts/Chavez/KJ 3for 2 semi platoon at 2B/3B could be a cheap way to get a ~105-110 wRC+ from the two positions.

Sure, it's worth a try, but my larger point is that that 105-110 is the absolute best the Yankees can get and they are taking on a lot of risk (not financial, but opportunity) to try to get it. It's just weird to see the Yankees cornered like this.

Sure, it's worth a try, but my larger point is that that 105-110 is the absolute best the Yankees can get and they are taking on a lot of risk (not financial, but opportunity) to try to get it. It's just weird to see the Yankees cornered like this.

Yeah, that's what happens when your farm system produces absolutely nothing for several years; you need to take risks to fill holes. We're just use to the Yankees taking financial risks instead of the other kinds.

Overall, Thornton held LHP to an under 700 ops each of the last two years. That's fine with me for a LOOGY.

Even LOOGYs don't face LHB all that often. Thornton has usually faced more lefties than righties.

Thornton was absolutely abysmal after being traded to Boston and didn't feature in the postseason at all, and now the Yankees are giving him $7M over 2 years instead of just using a random left-handed minor leaguer. Hilarious!

Even LOOGYs don't face LHB all that often. Thornton has usually faced more lefties than righties.

Thornton was absolutely abysmal after being traded to Boston and didn't feature in the postseason at all, and now the Yankees are giving him $7M over 2 years instead of just using a random left-handed minor leaguer. Hilarious!

There simply won't be enough talent available via free agency to replenish the Yankees' needs. There's nothing on the farm. And as a result of the new CBA, the Yankees can't flex their financial muscle in the draft or on the international market. There's a perception that the new CBA hurts small-market teams that want to spend on amateur players, but it actually hurts rich teams that want to blow the market away on elite young players. Carlos Rodon, the presumptive no. 1 overall pick in the next draft, could be a better version of David Price in a perfect world. In the old days, Scott Boras6 could work his magic, tell the world that his client wants $25 million to sign, and scare away enough teams to allow Rodon to fall to wherever the Yankees are picking.

The spending limits in the new CBA make that much more difficult. If Rodon is the top player in the draft, he will almost certainly go no. 1 overall. The Yankees will have to settle for the best player on the board when they draft — and thanks to all the free agents they've signed, they will forfeit their first-round pick next year anyway.

Even signing players from Japan has become more difficult; it used to be that teams submitted a blind posting bid in an auction, but now any team that posts the $20 million maximum can negotiate freely with the player involved. When ace right-hander Masahiro Tanaka gets posted — whether it's this year or next — the Yankees will have to negotiate like everyone else. And if they do sign Tanaka, more of the money they commit to him will count against their payroll for luxury tax purposes because of the lower posting bid.

The Yankees dug their own hole by making mistakes in drafting and player development. They're even worse off now, however, because the ladders they used to climb out of a similar hole 20 years ago have been removed.

Even signing players from Japan has become more difficult; it used to be that teams submitted a blind posting bid in an auction, but now any team that posts the $20 million maximum can negotiate freely with the player involved. When ace right-hander Masahiro Tanaka gets posted — whether it's this year or next — the Yankees will have to negotiate like everyone else. And if they do sign Tanaka, more of the money they commit to him will count against their payroll for luxury tax purposes because of the lower posting bid.

The Yankees have never obtained a significant player through posting.

They are far more likely to get Tanaka, if they want him, under the new system.

Carlos Rodon, the presumptive no. 1 overall pick in the next draft, could be a better version of David Price in a perfect world. In the old days, Scott Boras6 could work his magic, tell the world that his client wants $25 million to sign, and scare away enough teams to allow Rodon to fall to wherever the Yankees are picking.

Thornton had a 3.52 ERA with Boston, and was still averaging 94. I don't know where the narrative that he is done comes from?

I wouldn't put much stock in the ERA. It's not like he was pitching whole innings. He doesn't get the credit for the people relieving him keeping his runners from scoring. I know WHIP is a silly fantasy stat, but his for Boston was 1.76. And he was getting hit hard, believe me.

Carlos Rodon, the presumptive no. 1 overall pick in the next draft, could be a better version of David Price in a perfect world. In the old days, Scott Boras6 could work his magic, tell the world that his client wants $25 million to sign, and scare away enough teams to allow Rodon to fall to wherever the Yankees are picking.

There's a perception that the new CBA hurts small-market teams that want to spend on amateur players

A perception espoused by fools who haven't given the subject any thought.

In the old days, Scott Boras6 could work his magic, tell the world that his client wants $25 million to sign, and scare away enough teams to allow Rodon to fall to wherever the Yankees are picking.

When has this ever happened? No, the pernicious effect of Budshovism isn't that the Yankees can't pay some hypothetical player $25 million, it's that nobody can pay that hypothetical player $25 million.

And if they do sign Tanaka, more of the money they commit to him will count against their payroll for luxury tax purposes because of the lower posting bid.

Yes, that is the plan isn't it.

The Yankees dug their own hole by making mistakes in drafting and player development.

And Bud Selig and his plutocratic cronies quickly shoved the team in the hole and are now furiously shoveling in dirt as fast as they can, having already removed any gold fillings and purloined the money belt from the victim.

That's sort of the Hall of the Not Bad. But most of the players on the list, like Roberts himself, had a window of 2-3 years mid-career where they were very strong all-round ballplayers who could improve most clubs.

When has this ever happened? No, the pernicious effect of Budshovism isn't that the Yankees can't pay some hypothetical player $25 million, it's that nobody can pay that hypothetical player $25 million.

Yea, that gets mentioned a lot in arguments, but I can't think of too many guys that had ridiculous bonus demands that fell in the draft, and the ones that did didn't necessarily turn into game-changing players. Off the top of my head, Matt Wieters, Rick Porcello, J.D. Drew all fell, and all are nice players, but not megastars or anything. And the Yankees didn't get any of them.

And Bud Selig and his plutocratic cronies quickly shoved the team in the hole and are now furiously shoveling in dirt as fast as they can, having already removed any gold filling and purloined the money belt from the victim.

And Bud Selig and his plutocratic cronies quickly shoved the team in the hole and are now furiously shoveling in dirt as fast as they can, having already removed any gold fillings and purloined the money belt from the victim.

So, this makes Hank and Hal Steinbrenner descendants of Tom Joad? What next, Sterling and Waldman leading a chorus of THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND?

I called this one weeks ago. And am glad he's no longer an O. He might be good offensively for the Yanks again. So many other old players are up there, but he was horrid on defense this year, and putrid in previous years. Team's definitely better off with Flaherty/Weeks while Schoop's still at AAA.

Not sure how many middle infielders Yanks can carry to platoon. A lot of teams carry one extra catcher one infielder, one outfielder and one guy who might be able to cover 1b and OF. Nunez, Ryan, Jeter, Roberts, and Johnson (plus ARod)? Most of these guys can't cover another defensive infield position.

This is a lot of analysis for a non-issue. Almost 100 posts? The last time Roberts has been both healthy and good was 2009. And I think he's older now. He's managed 192 games over the past four seasons, to the tune of an 82 OPS+.

This feels a lot like the Kevin Youkilis signing, and will end that way.